


turning point

by treewhisker



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: 16, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Getting Together, High School, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, heed these warnings pls, ish, theyre like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 08:37:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20672447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treewhisker/pseuds/treewhisker
Summary: Bowers and Richie have an altercation.Eddie makes sure that everything is okay.





	turning point

**Author's Note:**

> hi im gonna be honest  
this is a catharsis fic. aka a vent fic  
but it has happy ending  
bec im sap  
and im gay!
> 
> warnings for homophobic language and slurs

Derry High School was, to be honest, a  _ fucking dump _ . 

The walls and floors hadn’t been revamped in a decade, the lockers were so rusted that it was a chore and a half to even get one to  _ close _ , let alone open, and everything had a slight scent of mold that only century-old buildings could muster. But, to Richie, those paled in comparison to the  _ people _ . Excluding the Losers, the entire Derry High consisted of cruel, closed-minded people, all of whom adored making their opinion known. 

And that thought is what brought Richie here, cornered in the classroom with no teacher in sight. 

Bowers sneered at him, his lackeys guarding the door. His nasty expression grew wider as Richie scanned the room, looking for any escape routes, knowing that there were none, unless Richie decided to jump from two stories up. “What’s wrong, you little fairy? Wings aren’t working for ya?” Bowers taunted, reveling in the way Richie’s shoulders tensed. 

“Shut the fuck  _ up, _ Bowers,” the sophomore snapped back, almost a reflex at this point. He’d already had a bad day, damn it, he didn’t need Bowers making it worse. But, of course, his oldest bully couldn’t care less about how he felt. 

“Aww, is the fag trying to bite back? Cute,” Bowers laughed, his friends joining in, “but we all know you don’t have the balls. Maybe one of your boyfriends could find some for ya.”

“I don’t know if your dad has any  _ to _ give, Bowers, but I appreciate the thought.”

The next thing Richie knew, he was on the floor, holding his bleeding nose. Bowers snarled, and gave him a kick in the ribs. “You wanna flirt with my cousin  _ and _ my dad? God, I always knew you would suck anything put in front of ya. Boys,” Bowers called to his friends, “I think it’s getting pretty old stomping on this weak old pansy. Why don’t we go get another one?” Richie paled, trying to push himself off the ground despite the dizzying pain in his nose. A swift kick from Bowers knocked his arms out from under him. “What was that fag’s name? Eddie?”

“Isn’t he that one’s boyfriend?” One of the friends -- Hocksetter? -- called with a laugh, “They’re awful close.”

“Ohhhh,” Bowers nodded, “You’re right, yeah. Maybe that one will be more  _ fun _ , instead of Tozier over --”

Richie saw  _ red _ , lunging at Bowers despite the pain, despite the risk, despite everything. He managed a knee to the balls and a fist to the face before Bowers’ friends leapt in, dragging him off and throwing him against a desk, knocking the breath out of him. Hocksetter gave him another punch, this time to the eye, for good measure, cracking his glasses in the process. The dizziness came back full force, and he could only blearily look up as a teacher came into the room.

“What happened here?” The teacher shouted, hurting Richie’s pounding head. He opened his mouth to answer, but Hocksetter cut him off. 

“We were just hanging out, and he  _ attacked _ Henry!” The senior pointed to Bowers, playing up his shock. 

“You attacked me first!” Richie protested, though his words were a little nasally and slurred. 

“... Mr. Tozier. Come with me, we’re going to the principal.”

* * *

“Why am  _ I  _ getting detention?” Richie shouted, standing up from his chair. He had to put out a hand to steady himself from the flood of dizziness that followed. “They attacked me first, and they attacked me  _ last _ . I was  _ defending myself _ .”

“That is quite enough, Tozier,” the principal snapped, putting his hands on the desk. “You’re quite  _ lucky _ that you have gotten off this easily. I won’t be as lenient next time.”

Richie knew enough to read between the lines, and it infuriated him more. “ _ Take it like a man. _ ” “ _ You deserve it, you fucking fag. _ ” “ _ Get out. _ ” No matter what, Richie lost. 

* * *

“Stupid fucking town, stupid fucking Bowers,” Richie hissed, walking home before the Losers could see his face. His eye was already starting to darken with a bruise, and his nose was in the same predicament. The nurse had said it wasn’t broken, but that it was a very close call. But his glasses… Richie knew he’d have to pay for the replacement of those himself. He’d gotten new glasses only a few months ago, after all. 

_ At least they didn’t go after Eddie _ , Richie thought, then smacked himself in the face for it. “Ow! Fuck!”

* * *

Eddie hadn’t seen Richie in two days, and he was starting to get really worried.

Usually, by now, he’d have at least gotten a  _ text _ , or even a stupid phone call, or have heard his obnoxious voice floating down the hall. But there was nothing. Simply… silence.

It unnerved him. 

It unnerved him that it unnerved him. 

“Where’s Trashmouth?” Eddie asked at lunch on the third day. 

“I thought he w-w-was sick?” Bill replied, frowning in concern. 

“Can’t be,” Bev waved her hand, nearly spilling her drink, “you know how clingy he gets when he’s sick.”

“Maybe his phone broke so he can’t contact us,” Ben offered helpfully.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Stan said with a shrug, “maybe he just needs to be alone. I know that I get that way sometimes.” 

“Yeah…” Eddie stared at his lunch like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

* * *

It was fine, Eddie told himself, so why was he here? Looking at Richie’s window with extreme hesitance, he almost turned around. But … Eddie knocked on it once he was close enough. 

There was a tumbling noise from inside, and a loud curse, and then the window was open. 

“Richie, you total motherfucker. You haven’t shown up at school in  _ days _ , do you know how worried… I … was…” Eddie trailed off as he turned to look at Richie. He was resolutely looking away from Eddie, as if seeing him would shatter his composure. “Richie?”

A long pause followed, in which Eddie grew more and more nervous. Maybe Stan was right, and Eddie just barged into Richie’s alone time. Maybe Richie was avoiding him on purpose. Maybe -- Eddie’s panicked spiraling was cut short as Richie turned to him and he  _ saw _ \--

“Richie! Oh my god, what  _ happened _ ?” Eddie rushed forward, and Richie shrunk back a little, causing him to stop halfway between their previous space. Eddie’s eyes welled up with tears, staring at his best friend. His face was a mottled mixture of plain skin and nasty bruising, and the glasses he’d freshly put on were cracked. His arm had a slightly less severe bruise, already green, and his knuckles had some light bruising. “Did you get into a fight?! Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell  _ me _ ?” 

“Eds.” Richie looked at him strangely, and much to Eddie’s shock, began to  _ cry _ . “I-- I promise I didn’t mean to.”

Eddie’s eyes softened, and he moved forward again to sit next to Richie on the bed. With some hesitation, he reached out and hugged Richie, loosening his hold when the action made Richie jolt in pain. “What happened, Rich?”

Richie seemed to cry harder at that, mixing in with soft laughs. “I don’t think I  _ can _ tell you, Eds. I… don’t want to lose anyone. God, I’m sorry, this is stupid.”

“It’s not,” Eddie said firmly, letting the use of ‘Eds’ slide… just this once. “You’re not gonna lose me, you dipshit. Tell me.” 

* * *

Richie could feel his soul leaving his body, and he hated that. He was so fucking  _ disgusting _ , a voice in his head that sounded oddly like Bowers hissed, Eddie meant nothing beyond friendship and he was infecting the conversation with his… with his stupid  _ sexuality _ . He was supposed to be the funny one, goddamnit. 

“Fine, Eds. Just promise you won’t think differently. Of me. Of us.”

“Promise.”

“I got picked on by Bowers. Said some dumb shit, got myself punched. Kept calling me a ‘fag’ and shit. And when I was trying to shake it off… they threatened you. Said they’d go after my boyfriend, that it would be more  _ fun _ ,” Richie spat the word like a curse, “and I… I guess I snapped, a little. I didn’t want them to come for you. I’ve been their target for years, I’m used to it, but not you--” Richie choked as he realized what he was saying, but he couldn’t stop himself anymore. “I kicked him. And punched him. I just saw red, at the thought of them going after you.”

“Richie…” 

“I know I’m gross, okay! You don’t have to tell me that, I  _ know _ , and I know you’re probably wanting to run from here but I just--”

“Richie.”

“--can’t fucking keep it in anymore, I guess. They gave me detention and Bowers got nothing. Hocksetter got me, and I just, fucking. I know the principal thought the same, and that the Losers are gonna leave me now along with you, but I!”

“Richie!” 

A sudden silence came over the room. Richie’s voice had been steadily rising, and his gestures jostled Eddie from where he still embraced Richie. It started to settle in, then, that Eddie hadn’t recoiled or … or anything, really. “I know it’s 2019,” Richie started, voice almost inaudible. The only reason Eddie heard was because of how close they were. “But… I’m still ashamed. I’m still… disgusting. A fag, a queer…” 

“Richie Tozier if you don’t shut your mouth right now and let me talk.” Surprisingly obedient for once, Richie shut up. “You’re not any of that shit. Disgusting, shameful… if you are, then I am, so unless you want to insult me that way…”

“God-- God, no!” Richie sputtered, and then froze. “Wait, you’re…?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

“You didn’t deserve what they did. You don’t. I know it’s hard to come to terms with right now, but you aren’t wrong, or disgusting, and you shouldn’t be treated that way.” Eddie said slowly, carefully choosing his words, “And… I don’t think of you any differently. You’re just Richie, my best friend, and…” Eddie trailed off. Richie turned a little to look at him, confused, and Eddie’s mind went straight to  _ fuck it _ mode. “My other half.”

Richie stayed still for a long moment. Eddie’s heart rate rose to unhealthy heights, but he couldn’t bring himself to move, to run. So when he felt Richie turn completely to face him, he only leaned back a little. “You… you really mean that, Eds?”

“Not my name,” Eddie replied on instinct, and then said, “Yeah. I mean it. I completely understand if you don’t feel the same, I just--”

Eddie was cut off by Richie pulling him into a tight hug. “Shut up, stupid. Of course I do.”

When Richie pulled back, wincing from the pain in his ribs, both of them had shy smiles on their faces. 

Both of them knew that nothing was magically fixed, that Richie and Eddie both had internalized a lot of shit, and that they had the world to face tomorrow and forever. 

But at least they could face it together.

**Author's Note:**

> now keep in mind here my friends.  
richies int homophobia is not cured. thats not how ut works. he still has a lot he needs to address. he just has support now, and knows its okay. hell take his own pace and heal. but its not cured bc of someone swoopin in!  
thnank u. anyways
> 
> pls comment im gay and an attentuon whore uwu (even if u just keysmadh... uwuwuwuwuwu)


End file.
